Vacuum-cleaner.



G. L. BUSIANQ VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLIOATION'I'ILED FEB. B, 1909.

' Ewe/sou Pat nted Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

hwntoz G: 1 .3mm,

G. L. BUSIAN.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. a, 1909.

944,944, Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

GEBHARD L. BUSIAN, OF MARSHALL, MINNESOTA.

VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Lettcrs Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed February a, 1909. Serial No. 476,663.

To all whom 'LZ flung/concern:

Be it known that I, Gunman L. Bcs a'x, a citizen of the United States,residing at Marshall, in the county of Lyon and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Cleaners, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements invacuum (.lillLcl'S, and the primary object of the invcntion is theprovision of a device of this character embodying a novel constructionwhereby it can be readily operated by handand easilytransported fromplace to place as may be desired.

The invention further contemplates a vacuum cleaner in which the nozzleis peculiarly mounted so as to be held in a yielding engagement with thefloor and automatically drawn'back and forth across the same when thesuction device-is operated. and also in which the dust collected by themachine will not cause the machine to be clogged or in any mannerinterfere with the effective operation thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construct-ion and themeans for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lis a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner constructediii-accordance with the invent-ion; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached perspective view of thesleeve which is pendent from the tubular plunger; Fig. 4

is an enlarged side elevation of the lower end of the pipe projectingdownwardly from the cylinder, parts being shown in section Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view through the track at the lower end of theframe; and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of the carriage andnozzle, portions being removed.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all-the views of the drawings by the samereference characters. A

The supporting frame for the vacuum cleaner comprises a series ofupright legs 1, opposite pairs of the legs being connected between theirends by a cross bar 2. Mounted upon this supporting frame is a verticalcylinder 3, the lower end of which is closed.

by a plate 4, while its upper end has a piece of fabric 5 stretchedacross the same. The

1 plate i is depressed downwardly so as to have a substantially invertedconical shape, and is formed at its central portion with an openingleading to a pipe 6 which is pendent from the plate and is supportedthereby. The lower end of this pipe (3 is provided with an inwardlyopening check valve 7 and is connected to the flexible tube 8 whichleads to the nozzle 9, the said nozzle heing formed with a slot 9through which air and dust is designed to be drawn into the tube bymeans of suction. A diaphragm 10 of leather or other similar material isstretched across the lower end of the cylinder 3 and in the presentinstance the edges of this leather diaphragm are shown as clampedbetween the cylinder and the plate 4.

Attached to the central portion of the diaphragm and extending upwardlytherefrom through the cylinder, is a tubular plunger ll, the saidplunger being i1l 0 connected to the fabric 5 and having the upperextremity thereof loosely connected to the inner ends of a pair ofoppositely disposed hand levers 12 by. means of the links 13. Anupwardly opening check valve 1% is interposed in the length of thetubular plunger 11 and a pair of laterally projecting discharge spouts15 check valve 14, the upper end of the plunger being closed so that anyair and dust forced upwardly through the same will be discharged throughthe spouts 15 into the inte rior of the cylinder 3. the air then passingfreely through the fabric 5, while the dust is retained by the fabricwithin the cylinder. The dustwhich is thus retained in the cylindercollects upon a: conical plate 24 resting wardly from the lower end ofthe cylinder, the said conical plate having a central opening at itsapex through which the tubular plunger passes. The dust is thusprevented from dropping upon the diaphragm 10 where it would be agitatedevery time the hand levers were moved. The hand levers 12 are pivotallymounted between their ends upon fulcrum members 16 secured to oppositesides of the cylinder, and are provided at their outerends with thehandles 17.

The lower end of the tubular plunger 11 is threadedat 11 and providedwith a shoulder 18 at the termination of the said threaded portion. Thediaphragm 10 is formed with an opening designed to receive the threadedend of the plunger, and. the edges of this are arranged upon the plungerabove the I loosely upon an annular rib 24c pressed ini opening areclamped between the shoulder 18 and the end of a tubular sleeve 19 which'is threaded upon the extremity of the plunwillalso be observed that thetubular sleeve 19 is formed in its sides with a series of longitudinalslots 19 through which the dust and air can enter the sleeve and passinto the tubular plunger from under the diaphragm.

The lower portions of each opposite pair of the legs are connected by anupper track 20 and a lower track 20", and a carriage which carries, thenozzle is mounted upon these tracks so as to'move freely back and forththereon. As shown on thedrawing, this carriage comprises a pair of axles21 each of which has a small wheel 26 and a large wheel 27 mounted uponeach end thereof, the smaller wheels 26 of the two axles traveling uponthe lower tracks 2Q while the larger wheels 27 travel upon' the uppertracks 20. The two axles 21 are joined by two longitudinal springstrips21 and these two spring strips are connected by the transverse bar 21"to which the nozzle 9 is rigidly connected. As the carriage is movedupon the track the nozzle is drawn back and forth across the floor andheld in a yielding engagement therewith by means of the spring bars 21 Abell crank lever 22 is pivotally mounted upon the cross piece 2*, one ofthe arms of the bell crank lever having a sliding connection with thecarriage, while the opposite arm of the bell crank lever is connected bya link to one ofthe! hand levers 12.

When the handles 17 at the outer end of the hand levers 12 are movedupwardly by .the operator, the entire device is lifted from the floor soas to be readily shifted to a new position thereon. At the same time,the tubular plunger 11 is forced downwardly and the air and dust whichwere previously sucked into the cylinder under the diaphragm 10 forcedthrough the slotted sleeve 19, the tubular plunger 11, and the spouts.15, into the cylinder, the check valve being closed while the check'valve 14 is open. The air which is thus forced into the cylinder 3passes freely through the fabric 5, while the dust is prevented fromescape by thesaid fabric and collected within the cylinder upon theplate 24. When the device is placed in a new position upon the floor,the handles 17 are moved downwardly, and the diaphragm 1O drawn upwardlyby the tubular plunger 11. The valve 7 is opened and mounted so as to beautomatically moved back and forth across the floor when the suctiondevice is operated, and that the dust which is drawn through the nozzleis'collected within the cylinder 3. Attention is also directed to thefact that the fabrie 5 is continually vibrated up and down when thelevers are operated so that dust is prevented from accumulating thereonand clogging the machine. When it is desired to remove the dust from thecylinder, it is merely necessary to slip the ring 25 by means of whichthe edges of the fabric are secured thereto, from the end of thecylinder. As shown on the drawings, this ring has the cross section ofan angle bar and is shown as formed with annular flanges projecting atright angles to each other, one of the flanges being designed to fitover the end. of the cylinder, while the opposite flange engages thefabric. i

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a frame, a nozzle movably mounted upon theframe, asuction device for drawing air through the/nozzle, a lever for operatingthe suction device, and an operative connection between the lever andthe nozzle for automatically moving the nozzle when the suction deviceis operated.

2. The combination of a frame, a track upon the frame, a carriagemountedu on the track and formed with a sprin mem er, a nozzle appliedto the spring member, means for drawing air through the nozzle, andmeans for moving the carriage upon the track. 7

3. he combination of a framete air of upper tracks upon the frame, a pan0 lower tracks upon the frame, a carriage formed with two sets of wheelsone of which is designed to travel upon the upper tracks while the otheris designed to travel upon the lower tracks, a nozzle upon the carriage,means for drawing air through the nozzle,

and means for moving the carriage upon the tracks. In testimony whereofI my signature in presence of two witnesses.

